The Fruit of the Spirit, part 5

The Holy Spirit will supernaturally, and actively, help us! Through His work in our lives, we will produce what Paul calls, the fruit of the Spirit – which is in contrast to the fruit of license… look at what he says in Galatians 5:22… But the Holy Spirit produces this kind of fruit in our lives: love, joy, peace, patience, kindness, goodness, faithfulness, 23 gentleness, and self-control. There is no law against these things!" NLT.
 

Now, there is another temptation here to say, “OK, I have been gentle, faithful, peaceful, etc. therefore I must be saved!” We are all thankful that you are being a good, kind, and gentle person, but these traits are not the marks of your salvation. The truth is, people, through their own effort and discipline, can develop these traits over time.
 

I don’t want us to miss this. The difference between the well-disciplined person and the production the fruit of the Spirit in someone’s life, is faith and trust in Jesus. The Fruit of the Spirit, is produced by the Holy Spirit, who resides in all who have trusted in Jesus – not by any human effort. That does not mean we are passive in the process, but ultimately, it is the Holy Spirit who produces fruit from the root.   

I like how Dr. Charles Stanley explains it: “The fruit of the Spirit does not pop out of believers through effort; Christians bear fruit through surrender. We “take root” in the Lord, by meditating on His Word, praying, and serving. We reserve nothing for ourselves to control, but fully rely upon Him. That’s not passive living; it’s an abiding life.”
 

If all we do is some sort of self-help, humanistic exercise, to demonstrate The Fruit of the Spirit, we will eventually become slaves to our own effort. The Fruit of the Spirit will simply become another Law for us yield to, one by which we judge, criticize, compete, and/or become angry at others!
 

Again, the difference is, the work of the Holy Spirit, who is producing in us, the life of Christ! Don’t let this slip by – the Holy Spirit is producing in you, in me, the life of Christ – He is making you, and me, more like Christ. And, because we are free in Christ, we can become like Christ.
 

Here is how I believe we should respond to this study, today. We should pray a prayer of surrender. We should, because we have a free-will, we can resist the working of the Holy Spirit in us. But why would we want too? 
 

Pause right now, wherever you are, and simply pray this prayer… “Lord, I surrender all of me to you and your will! Produce in me the character of Jesus Christ!”  END